Iran in Secret Talks With al Qaeda, U.S. Officials Say

From ABC News:

Sources Say Iranian Govt., Terror Group in Contact About Militants Under House Arrest

Senior U.S. officials tell ABC News that in recent months there have been secret contacts between the Iranian government and the leadership of al Qaeda. It's a development that has caught the attention of top officials in the White House, the Pentagon and the intelligence community.

According to U.S. officials familiar with highly sensitive intelligence on this issue, the contacts are on the status of high-level al Qaeda operatives, including two of Osama Bin Laden's sons, who have been under house arrest in Iran since 2003. The officials don't believe Iran will allow these operatives to go free, but said they don't know Iran's motivation for initiating the talks.

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My Comment: This is another clear indication that close ties are maintained between Al Qaeda and Iranian Government officials. Because this involves two of Osama bin Ladin's sons, it is not hard to figure out who in Al Qaeda is directing these talks. The question is why Iran is doing this now. What is their strategy? This is an answer that I do not know.